JPH0532313U - Sequential container feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] An object of the present invention is to provide a sequential container feeder capable of always handling containers in a fixed position by a robot in a laboratory automation system or the like. A sequential container feeder according to the present invention comprises a closed container having an entrance door and an exit door, and the closed container so that one end faces the entrance door and the other end faces the exit door. A conveyor arranged inside, a guide for aligning the containers conveyed on the conveyor, a dryer capable of drying the inside of the hermetically sealed container, and a container conveyed on the conveyor in the conveying direction of the conveyor. And a detection device capable of detecting the container on the conveyor.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a sequential container feeder, and more specifically, sequentially supplies a container used in an analytical measuring instrument at a fixed position so that the container can be repeatedly used by a robot when automating the pretreatment of the analytical measurement. The present invention relates to a sequential container feeder in a so-called laboratory automation system or the like.

[0002]

[Technical problems to be solved by conventional technology and device]

 Conventionally, in a laboratory automation system, as shown in FIG. 1, a container supply shelf 2 capable of accommodating a container 1 used for accommodating a sample in an analytical instrument or a measuring instrument in a case 4 forming a closed space. A robot 3 capable of gripping and transferring the container 1, a dryer 5, and an analytical device or measuring device (not shown) are housed.

In order to perform analysis or measurement work, first, a worker enters the case 4 and determines a position for handling by the robot 3. Further, the worker in the case 4 sets the container 1 in a fixed position on the container supply shelf 2 so that the robot 3 can hold it. When the work is completed, the worker leaves the case 4.

After that, the robot 3 which is automatically controlled approaches the container supply shelf 2, and the container 1 set on the container supply shelf 2 is confirmed by a sensor (not shown). Is grasped. The robot 3 transfers the container 1 to be held to the dryer 5, and the dryer 5 dries the sample in the container 1. After drying, the robot 3 sets the container 1 to be gripped in an analytical device or measuring device (not shown).

However, in such a conventional laboratory automation system, as described above, since the container supply shelf 2, the robot 3, and the analysis device or the measurement device are housed in the case 4, a large space is required. Need the case of. Moreover, a dryer 5 having a large capacity for keeping the inside of the case of this wide space in a dry state is required. The container supply shelf 2 requires sensors for the number of processed containers 1. The positioning of the robot 3 is complicated. It is extremely complicated to manually set the container 1 in a fixed position. Further, there are many problems such as danger because a person has access to the operation position of the robot.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 is a hermetically sealed container having an entrance door and an exit door, one end of which is close to the entrance door and the other end of which is close to the exit door. A conveyor arranged in the container, a guide for arranging the container conveyed by the conveyor, a dryer for drying the contents in the container conveyed by the conveyor, and a conveying direction for the container conveyed by the conveyor. Sequential container supply characterized by comprising stop means for stopping at the tip portion and first detecting means for detecting the container stopped by the stop means and enabling the above-mentioned outlet door of the closed container to be released. It is a machine. The invention of claim 2 further comprises second detecting means for detecting a container arranged next to the container stopped by the stopping means, and an alarm is issued when the container is not detected by the second detecting means. The sequential container feeder according to claim 1.

[0007]

[Action]

 In the present invention, first, the entrance door of the closed container is opened. When the entrance door is opened, one end of the conveyor is exposed, so the container containing the contents is placed on the conveyor. The placed container moves on the conveyor and is conveyed forward. Even if the containers are randomly placed on the conveyor one after another, the guide regulates the containers in a line, for example. In addition, the contents in the container are dried by the dryer during the transportation. While the contents are being dried, the container is transported on the conveyor and reaches the tip of the conveyor. At the tip of the conveyor, the stopping means prevents the container from advancing and stops. On the other hand, the second container following the container whose advance is blocked by the stopping means is also conveyed by the conveyor, and the advance is stopped by the container whose advance is blocked by the stopping means. In the same manner, the third container following the second container stops its advancement by the second container and is positioned after the second container. Thereafter, similarly, the containers are arranged in a line on the conveyor, for example.

In this invention, when the container located at the head of the conveyor is taken out, the exit door is opened when it is confirmed by the first detecting means that the container is arranged at the head of the conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the malfunction of opening the outlet door even though the container is not arranged at the tip of the conveyor.

Further, when the second detecting means does not detect the second container following the leading container on the conveyor, it becomes impossible to continuously take out the arranged containers, so an appropriate alarm is issued. An alarm is issued by the means. For example, when a container is continuously taken out by a robot, a malfunction that a robot takes out a container that does not exist can be prevented.

[0010]

【Example】

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 2 to 4 show a sequential container feeder which is an embodiment of the present invention. This sequential container feeder is a closed container 8 having an inlet door 6 that is opened and closed manually and an outlet door 7 that is opened and closed automatically, and a dryer 9 that can keep the internal space of the closed container 8 in a dry state. A free-flow conveyor 10, container supply guides 11 and 12 for aligning the containers 1 conveyed on the free-flow conveyor 10, and a container 1 conveyed on the free-flow conveyor 10 at the leading end in the conveyor direction. A stopper 13 as a stopping means for stopping, a first detection device 14 for detecting the container 1 stopped by the stopper 13, and a second detection for detecting the container 1 positioned next to the container 1 stopped by the stopper 13 The device 15 and a third detection device arranged near the entrance of the closed container 8 and for detecting the container arranged on the free flow conveyor 10. (Not shown.) And a.

Each of these devices is arranged as shown in FIGS. That is, the free flow conveyor 10 is arranged in the closed container 8 so that one end faces the inlet door 6 of the closed container 8 and the other end faces the outlet door 7. A dryer 9 is placed inside the closed container 8. In the drawing, the dryer 9 is installed on the ceiling of the outlet side end in the closed container 8. Guides 11 and 12 that can guide the container to a predetermined position are arranged in the closed container 8 so that the distance between the guides 11 and 12 is slightly larger than the width of the container 1 as shown in FIG. It The first detection device 14 is installed in the side wall on the outlet side of the closed container 8. The second detection device 15 is also installed in the same manner as the first detection device 14. However, the installation position of the second detection device 15 is a position where the container 1 arranged next to the container 1 stopped by the stopper 13 can be detected. The stopper 13 is installed at the leading end of the free flow conveyor 10 in the transport direction.

The closed container 8 may be of any type as long as it can seal the inside, and a container made of, for example, transparent vinyl chloride can be preferably used. .. As the dryer 9, any type can be used as long as it can keep the sealed space in a dry state. As shown in FIG. 4, the guides 11 and 12 spread in a “8” shape toward the entrance of the closed container 8 and arranged in parallel with each other, or the straight lines parallel to each other shown in FIG. Used in the form of. In essence, this guide is used to identify what kind of member, what kind of It may have such a shape.

As the detection device, any type can be used as long as it can be used as the detection means. For example, a detector including a pair of light receiving element and light emitting element, a limit switch, etc. are preferable. Can be listed in. The detection signal output from the detection device is input to a control device (not shown).

The stopper 13 may be of any type as long as it can be used as a stopping means for stopping the container at the leading end of the free flow conveyor in the transport direction. In this embodiment, when the container 1 is taken out by a robot by a driving device (not shown), the stopper 13 is retracted and lowered so that the container taking-out work is not hindered.

Further, in this embodiment, the driving of the free flow conveyor 10, the opening / closing of the outlet door 7, the ascending / descending movement of the stopper 13, and the operation of the robot are automatically controlled by a controller (not shown).

Next, the operation of the sequential container feeder of this embodiment will be described. The inlet door 6 of the closed container 8 held in a dry state by the dryer 9 is manually opened. At this time, the free flow conveyor 10 is driven by a driving device (not shown). A plurality of containers 1 are placed on the inlet side end of the free flow conveyor 10. The container 1 placed on the free-flow conveyor 10 is detected by the detection device, and a detection signal is input from the detection device to the control device. The containers 1 placed one after another are transferred forward by the free flow conveyor 10. When the container 1 to be transported moves toward the outlet side of the free flow conveyor 10, the plurality of containers 1 are regulated in a line by the guides 11 and 12, and the containers 1 are arranged on the free flow conveyor 10. .. Further, the container 1 is further moved to the outlet side by driving the free flow conveyor 10. Next, the passage of the container 1 is detected by the second detection device 15. A control device (not shown) that inputs the detection signal output from the second detection device 15 determines that the container 1 is normally conveyed by the detection signal. When the detection signal for detecting the container 1 is input from the detection device (not shown), but the detection signal is not input from the second detection device 15, the control device issues an alarm.

When the container 1 conveyed on the free-flow conveyor 10 reaches directly below the dryer 9 when the container 1 is normally supplied, the dryer 9 dries the sample in the container 1 Dried by 9. The container 1 having the sample dried by the dryer 9 is stopped by the stopper 13 at the exit side of the free flow conveyor 10. Further, the stopped container 1 is detected by the first detection device 14, and the detection signal is output from the first detection device 14 to the control device.

After the first container 1 is stopped by the stopper 13, the second container 1 is conveyed and comes into contact with the first container 1, and then the second container 1 is stopped. At this time, the second container 1 is detected by the second detection device 15, and the detection signal is output from the second detection device 15 to the control device. For example, even though the control device inputs a detection signal for detecting that the second container 1 is placed on the free-flow conveyor 10 by a detection device (not shown), the second detection device outputs the second signal. When the control device does not input the detection signal indicating the first container 1, the control device determines that the transport state of the second container 1 is abnormal and outputs an alarm. Next, a case where a plurality of containers 1 arranged in a line on the free flow conveyor 10 are taken out from the closed container will be described. In the initial state, the robot 16 faces the exit of the closed container 8 and stands by. When an operation start command is input by the input means in the control device (not shown), the operation command signal from the control device causes the stopper 13 to descend, thereby releasing the regulation of the container 1. At the same time, the exit door 7 is opened by the command signal from the control device. The robot 16 advances its arm to grip the container 1 located at the head on the free flow conveyor 10. After gripping the container 1, the robot 16 moves its arm backward. The robot 16 moves the container 1 to a predetermined position while gripping the container 1 and places the container 1 at a predetermined position in the analysis device or the measurement device. After mounting, the robot 16 returns to the original position and stands by at the exit of the closed container 8.

On the other hand, when the first container 1 is taken out by the robot 16, the outlet door 7 is immediately closed. This is to maintain the dry state in the closed container 8. Also, the stopper 13 rises. By driving the free flow conveyor 10, the second container 1 advances, and the stopper 13 blocks the advance of the second container 1 and stops. The second container 1 stopped by the stopper 13 is detected by the first detection device 14. If the first detection device 14 does not detect the second container 1 regardless of the driving of the free flow conveyor 10, an alarm is issued by the control means. When the second container 1 reaches the position of the first container 1 removed from the free-flow conveyor 10, the third container has been transported to the original position of the second container 1. 1 will be located. The third container 1 is detected by the second detection device 15. If the second detection device does not detect the third container 1, an alarm is issued by the control device.

In this way, when the first container 1 is removed from the free flow conveyor 10 by the robot 16, the second container 1 is conveyed to the top, and then the first container 1 is transferred to the robot 16. It is removed from the free-flow conveyor 10 as if it had been removed. By repeating the same operation, the container 1 on the free-flow conveyor 10 is transported forward, regulated by the stopper 13 and stopped, and is removed by the robot 16.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be carried out within the scope of the gist of the present invention. In the above embodiment, a pair of parallel guides that regulate the containers are used so that the containers are arranged in a line on the free flow conveyor, but the containers are arranged in two lines on the free flow conveyor. As shown, two sets of guides may be provided, as shown in FIG.

When two sets of guides are provided in this way, it is necessary to provide the first detection device 14 and the second detection device in each set of guides. Further, the number of rows of containers conveyed on the free-flow conveyor is not limited to one row or two rows, and may be a plurality of rows. Therefore, a guide can be provided according to the row of the containers. For example, six sets of guides 11 and 12 can be arranged as shown in FIG. In the above embodiment, the conveyor for conveying the container is a free flow conveyor, but the conveyor for conveying the container may be a belt conveyor.

[0023]

[Effect of the device]

 The sequential container feeder of the present invention keeps the container in the dry state by the dryer only by sequentially setting the number of containers to be processed at the inlet side end of the conveyor, and the container set in the fixed position by the guide and the stopper. Can be automatically supplied to the robot in the next process. In this case, since the container is set in a fixed position, positioning of the robot is easy. Furthermore, it is safe because the access position of the robot and the access position of the person are different.

Further, by having the detection means, it is possible to successively confirm whether the container is normally supplied or whether the robot can be accessed, and it is possible to supply the container accurately.

By changing the spacing of the guides in the sequential container feeder, different kinds of containers can be used, and by changing the length of the conveyor, the number of containers processed can be changed and the guides can be increased. By doing so, the number of containers that can be supplied at one time can be increased, and the technical range in which one sequential container feeder can be used is wide. Further, compared to a conventional container feeder having a container supply shelf, it requires only a small space and simple robot software, so that the cost is low.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sequential container feeder having a conventional container supply shelf.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a sequential container feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the sequential container feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sequential container feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a modification of the guide of the sequential container feeder according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a guide according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Plane of sequential container feeder having a set

FIG. 7 shows a guide according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
It is a top view of the sequential container feeder which has a set.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Container 2 Container Supply Shelf 3 Robot 4 Case Cover 5 Dryer 6 Entrance Door 7 Exit Door 8 Sealed Container 9 Dryer 10 Free Flow Conveyor 11 Guide 12 Guide 13 Stopper 14 First Detection Device 15 Second Detection Device 16 Robot 17 Container Setting step 18 Container alignment step 19 Judgment whether container is normally supplied 20 Alarm device activation step 21 Container drying step 22 Judgment whether container is set at a fixed position 23 Container extraction step

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location F26B 15/12 C 9140-3L G01N 35/04 G 8310-2J

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A conveyor arranged in a closed container such that one end of the closed container having an entrance door and an exit door faces the entrance door and the other end faces the exit door, and A guide for aligning the containers conveyed by the conveyor, a dryer for drying the contents in the containers conveyed by the conveyor, a stop means for stopping the containers conveyed by the conveyor at the leading end in the conveying direction, and the stop And a first detection means for enabling the outlet door in the closed container to be opened by detecting the container stopped by the means. 2. A second detecting means for detecting a container arranged next to the container stopped by the stopping means,
The sequential container feeder according to claim 1, wherein an alarm is issued when the container is not detected by the second detecting means.